Epilogue
JEWELS
The sun is shining brightly into my kitchen at the ranch, Tyson’s arms wrap around me, giving me a chaste kiss on the cheek. “Good morning.”
The bacon crackles in front of me. I promised the boys that I would make breakfast today, since they will be doing all of the cooking the next day.
“Mind if my brothers crash our holiday dinner tomorrow?” he asks.
Placing a lid onto the frying pan, I turn to him. “I didn’t realize they were back in town from Andrea’s funeral.”
Andrea had been found hanging in her closet with a note confessing her part in Lewis’s disappearance. The whole thing is tragic. No matter how I feel about the history between Tyson and her, I wish someone could have saved her from herself. Deep in the back of my mind a small voice wants to ask if the society had anything to do with this. But the thought is too much. Tyson would never allow it. I push down the nagging feeling I get when I think of her end.
Tyson’s voice brings me out of my thoughts. “They got back home last night.” Tyson did the trip in one day, but I thought his brothers were going to stay home for the holiday.
Walking to him I continue, “You know you don’t even have to ask.” My finger jabs into his right pectoral. “Your family is always welcome.” He takes my finger and places it into his mouth, giving it a small suck. Lightly, I slap my hand out of his grip and give him another look. “Luke is just in the other room,” I hiss at him. He only shrugs, not giving a shit.
Ever since Tyson got Luke off of all charges against him, with only a small slap on the wrist, he walks around like Luke owes him, or maybe it’s that predator in him that feels like he has to protect me from my brother. The thing is, they still both feel the same way about each other, although it is getting slightly better. They are going to have to get used to each other. I love them both and have no plans on letting either go.
“Morning, love birds!” Brody’s voice booms into the house.
Walking into the kitchen, he holds up a carton of eggs like they are a gold trophy. “I brought eggs!”
Tyson goes to his brother while still talking to me. “You see why I ask now? My family just makes themselves at home. Like they live here.” Tyson stresses the live part to Brody.
“This isn’t my house, you have to knock,” Tyson scolds his brother.
Brody just shrugs. “You are here enough, I would say y’all are living together.”
Going to the boys, I take the eggs and open the carton. “Where did you get the eggs?” I ask, knowing they are not store bought.
“My sexy neighbor.” He winks at me, very proud of this fact. I can’t help but laugh and shake my head as I walk away thinking about that poor girl who probably doesn’t even know what she has coming for her.
Luke’s voice begins to travel into the room. “Mom just called. She will be here about seven o’clock tonight.” With everything going down with our family, our mother finally confessed she wasn’t going on vacations like she kept telling us. She had met someone out of state. And now that we were all grown up, she was going to move in with her boyfriend.
It shocked the hell out of us. I never thought of my mother as a sexual being. I shudder again at the thought then scold myself internally. She is a person just like me. I need to embrace this new mother who has become very upfront with everything.
“Jewels, you sit down, I’ll make the eggs,” Brody tells me.
“No.”
He tries to get the eggs back but I keep them out of reach.
“Seriously, I don’t mind.” Pointing to Tyson and Brody, I say, “Now, Bennett boys, I know you are all fantastic cooks, but breakfast is the one meal I can make. Now go on and sit down.”
Both of them raise up their hands in a salute. “Yes, ma’am!” they respond in unison.
Coming back to Three Rivers has been the best thing I have ever done. I forgot how much I loved this small town. I should never have allowed the one incident to chase me away. I never see Trevor. He kept his word on selling me the horses I wanted and he was the one who brought up that the date wasn’t necessary. The guilt and stress I was carrying melted away after that. I have been paying him with post-dated checks so I never need to see him face-to-face. If I do see him in town he just nods and continues on. It is quite nice. I never expected Trevor to grow up so much.
The ranch is prospering so far. I was able to get two of my horses into a few rodeos and we have a third and second placement. I’m excited for next spring to come and see how well all of my breeding comes around.
Tyson almost fainted when he had to see how the process worked. I just brought out the large, warm, water balloon-like artificial vagina and Tyson freaked the hell out. City boys, what can I say? Ever since then I’ve been calling him City. Now he knows how I felt when he first called me Country. I’m sure he will learn to love it, just like I did.
“Now what are you thinking to make you smile so big?” Brody teases me, reminding me they are still here.
“Just remembering why Tyson is such a city slicking boy.” I giggle, going straight into flipping the eggs over.
“This is getting old, Jewels,” Tyson says in exasperation. Brody is laughing in the chair beside him. He is my biggest supporter in making fun of Tyson.
I can hear Tyson’s chair scrape across the floor and I already know his plans. Slowly, I place the spatula down.
“Brody, you’re on egg duty!” I call out as I begin to run for the door. I can hear Tyson coming up quickly behind me. Just as I am about to open the door, my feet come off the ground and Tyson flips me over his strong shoulders. I can’t help the giggle that erupts out of me.
“You know I do this because I love you, baby,” I try to plead my case.
He smacks my ass. “I think you are going to have to show me how exactly you love me.” I can hear the lust in his voice.
“We have about fifteen minutes until they notice we left,” I whisper as he walks us out the door.
“I don’t care if they know we are gone,” he replies, making me giggle more.
THE END
Continue reading for a sneak peek of the Bennett Brothers #3, Recklessly Devoted.
Please note, this is unedited and subject to change.